Dimapur, March 17 (EMN): Joint Action Committee (JCC) and Nagaland Tribes Action Committee (NYAC) reacted to the news item on leakage of list of beneficiaries under the Chief Minister’s Road Development Fund (CMRDF) for 2016-17 amounting Rs 12,50,00,000 where TR Zeliang has appended his signature dated 8-3-17 and as the chief minister.
While stating that TR Zeliang was made to relinquish office as the chief minister by resigning on February 19, JCC and NTAC said his reappearance to sign as chief minister in the distribution of beneficiaries on 8-3-2017 was an insult to the voice of the people by the force of which he was dislodged from the position. It added that such act seemingly invalidated Dr. Shurhozelie Liezietsu’s having taken over as the new chief minister on February 22, 2017.
JCC and NTAC through its Media Cell said the public of Nagaland has been appalled to witness ‘blatant bamboozling and abetment of corruption’ in the system of governance and management of the state of affairs in Nagaland by TR Zeliang manipulating even the highest echelon of governance – the State’s Chief Minister’s Office in spite of the fact the it requires the highest degree of respect and honour. It went on to allege that the play of cheap politics of corruption and nepotism and greedy clamour for power by TR Zeliang was revealed once again.
Whether the issue was of a claimed leakage of document which is of immense public interest or coincidental detection of dishonest big business dealings, it said the matter needs to be treated as opportune and precise privilege to give utmost seriousness for the welfare of the public of Nagaland and not allow to turning oblivious. Also stating that the turn of event cannot just be a thing to possibly be wished away, it said the Governor has a major role to ensure stringent action upon the lapses and avoid embarrassment brought entirely to the whole State.
Terming the unconvincing CMO statement ‘more than absurdly amusing,’ as reported through the local print media, it expressed surprise that the highest public office is being misused by TR Zeliang for ‘political interest on ground of pure preferential treatment which possibly is unconstitutional if not unethical.’
Stating that enough damage has already been done to the State, JCC and NTAC felt it is time the people of Nagaland be allowed emancipation from play of corrupt politics by TR Zeliang.
CMO clarifies news report
Clarifying to document doing the rounds on social media regarding the list of beneficiaries of the Chief Minister’s Road Development Fund for the year 2016-17, Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) press statement today said the projects and beneficiaries selected were genuine saying the list was prepared in January and submitted to the department of Roads & Bridges on January 23, 2017, and not as published in some sections of the local dailies.
It stated that with the change of guards, a review meeting between the new chief minister and the former chief minister was held on March 8 in which necessary changes were made. However, it pointed out that owing to clerical error, the designation of the former chief minister was not corrected and appeared on the document as what it had been when submitted on January 23. It said the former chief minister too, through oversight, signed on the document as it was presented to him by the staffers.
While regretting the oversight error, CMO assure everyone that there never was and there never is any advertent intention on the part of the former chief minister to use his previous designation nor is there any dual office of the chief minister in the State.
Adding to the twist, in what could be a probable ‘counter-leak’ of the JCC/ NTAC press release before publication, the CMO co-incidentally stated that the allegation of “bamboozling and abetment of corruption in the system of governance” does not arise at all since the schemes are spread all over the State and implementation of the schemes and programmes would take place under the supervision of the department concerned (R&B).
‘It shall not behove any responsible organisation or individual to jump the gun relying on a clerical mistake and shoot down the whole town due to a typing error,’ the CMO statement said.
